11:30 found Chongo at the park watching from a copse of trees for Decker to show. Sure enough Lance was there, trench coat and all. He didn't even need to look toward the street to know that the great banana was parked tenderly by the curb. He watched Drecker bite the end of a cigar and take a few puffs before slipping under the bridge.
"Didn't anybody tell you smoking is bad for your health?" Chongo said by way of a greeting.
"My wife, which you ain't, 'bout a million times, but in our line of work you're worried about cigars? I worry more about a severe case of lead poisoning," Drecker replied. "What's cooking short stuff?
"We, and I do mean we, have got some hot troubles brewing up. And I do mean hot. I need to know if you've seen any young chimps dead in the morgue or really sick at the hospitals from strange symptoms," Chongo said.
"I'll check around. What should I be looking for?" Drecker asked.
"I don't quite know myself, yet, but it's gonna be something really strange. Nothing like the flu or any disease you've likely seen. Just do me a favor and keep it quiet like, oh, and do yourself a favor and stay away from them if you find them."
"Chongo, what's going on?"
"Believe me pal, I'd tell you if I could, but I will tell you this, you don't want to know."
Drecker shivered in his overcoat. He and Chongo had been through some pretty hairy stuff and Chongo had never said anything like that before. "That bad?" he asked.
"Drecker if this goes south it could ruin your life as well as the lives of everyone else in this little slice of paradise." Chongo replied. "That's really all I can say, now how 'bout that dog? Just talking about it earlier has got me hungry."
"Sure thing, my treat. Settling that diamond / banana mess got the Captain off my back, so I owe you, " Drecker said as he shaved the ash off the dog ear, snuffed the coal and stuffed it in his pocket.
"I think I got it this time Lance. You may think you owe me but this is gonna be a huge favor I'm asking of you." Drecker let out a whistle and turned to walk toward the hotdog cart across the park. Chongo waited a few minutes and climbed back to his original spot in the trees. Good, if he or Drecker had been followed there was no sign of it. Of course it might mean that the tail was really good, he thought. He then took the arial route across the park so he could come in from the opposite side of Drecker. "Can't be too careful. After the dog he intended to visit someone who might know a thing or two about radiation poisoning. But right now that dog was whistling for him!